Bristol’s burgeoning craft beer industry takes centre stage this weekend as many of the city’s indie brewers come together for a major event.
The Bristol Craft Beer Festival, which starts this evening, will showcase the city’s top breweries alongside those from around the South West and further afield. 
Demonstrating what puts Bristol at the forefront of the UK craft beer scene will be Arbor Ales, a founder of the craft beer movement in Bristol and a city institution.
It will be joined by Bristol Beer Factory, which will be the only brewery at the festival pouring cask ale. Also taking part will be Wild Beer Co, Wiper & True, Lost & Grounded and Left Handed Giant.
Wiper & True and Left Handed Giant have teamed up with two of South-West’s most exciting young breweries – DEYA from Cheltenham and Falmouth’s Verdant – to create a craft beer specially for the festival which at Motion, in the heart of Bristol’s brewing quarter.
The special edition Bristol Craft Beer Festival IPA is described as a “super juicy, fruity IPA, with fresh harvest hops, perfect for summer drinking”.
The beer has been available since mid-August in bottles and draught at selected craft beer bars.
Among the festival’s international contingent is Lervig from Norway, one of the most respected and talented breweries in the global craft beer scene. Its specials sell out in minutes with fans from all over the world searching them out. They have promised big, imperial stouts akin to espresso martinis and juicy, hoppy pales.
Also joining the festival line-up is the Rainbow Project. The project pairs seven of the UK’s finest breweries with seven of the best from the US. Each pairing is randomly drawn a colour of the rainbow which is used to inspire a collaborative brew.
The beers created are unique to that year and the festival will be one of only a handful of places in the world where they will be available. This year the pairings will feature collaborations between Jester King, 3 Floyds, Modern Times, New Belgium, Sante Adairius, Side Project, Casita Cervecaria from the US and Beavertown, Hawkshead, Siren, Magic Rock, Burning Sky, Partizan and Wild Beer Co from the UK.
The full line-up includes London’s Beavertown, South Bermondsey’s Partizan, Thornbridge from Derbyshire, Siren from Wokingham, North Brew from Leeds, Scotland’s Tempest, Verdant and DEYA. From overseas Belgium will be represented by Brasserie De La Senne, Sweden by Beerbliotek, Holland by Oedipus and Denmark by Mikkeller.
Accompanying the beer line-up are DJ sets from turntablist, producer and cut-and-paste master DJ Yoda, one of the world’s most respected DJs Norman Jay MBE, indie rock band Bombay Bicycle Club, Olugbenga from electronic floor filler four-piece Metronomy, and Bristol-based Sip the Juice.
Entry to the festival is purchased in sessions. Each session lasts for five hours:
Friday 6:30 – 11:30
Saturday 12noon – 5pm. 7pm – 12midnight
Sunday 12noon – 5pm
Tickets are available from www.bristolcraftbeerfestival.co.uk and cost £38 which includes entry to the event, unlimited pours of whatever beer, from any brewer, access to the people that make the beer themselves, a free beer tasting glass and a programme.
